Brett McCormick from Canada and Markus Reiterberger from Germany enjoyed a nice race in Portugal, dicing together all the way to the checkered flag. It was a nice fight, fast and clean, and there were only two hundredths of a second between the two team mates on the finish line.

Qualifications were not easy, but the race was much better. Both riders, and their Australian team mate Beau Beaton, all had a great start. Brett and Markus tried as hard as they could to get into the top ten, which is not easy when you are racing for the first time on the Portimão race track. They did a great job and finished in 10^th and 11^th positions, and the team was very happy about it.

Beau Beaton lost a few positions because of various little problems, but he still managed to cross the finish line in 17^th position. Randy Pagaud, who is not very much at ease on the Portuguese track, did the best he could but was not so happy with his race.

The winner was Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team Ducati), who finished in front of Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) and Sheridan Morais (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki). Bryan Staring (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) was fourth, in front of Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia), Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini Honda) and Loris Baz (Ten Kate Junior Team Honda).

Michel Garnier (team owner): “Overall, it was a good race. Markus was 18^th on the starting grid and Brett started in 15^th position. They both started very well. Markus was immediately 8^th, and both he and Brett did a brilliant race. Beau was very good too, he was 14^th for a while, but he had a little problem by the end. Randy did what he could. He is still learning. Overall it’s a good weekend because they all finish the race. I am proud of them. I appreciate their effort.”

Brett McCormick: “The race was good. I got a good start again like in France. I came around in the top 12 and just kind of settled and did a good pace. I put my head down and put some very good laps. I finished tenth, went faster than when I qualified. I am happy but it sucks to have the crash on the first day that set me back from being closer to the front. But I am still happy.”

Markus Reiterberger: “My start was very good. I was in 8^th position at the end of the first lap. I had a cool fight with McCormick, it was a nice race. With two laps to go, Guarnoni touched my leathers when he crashed. I finish in 11^th position and the championship in 8^th position, for me this is very great.”

Beau Beaton: “It was OK. I got a really good start, probably my best of the season. I made some mistakes and lost a couple of positions in Turn 4. With 3, 4 laps to go, I had a moment out of the second last corner. I lost a couple of spots and I was out the points, unfortunately.”

Randy Pagaud: “It was a complicated race. I couldn’t be as fast as during practice. By the end, I got a little bit tired of it.”

Race result:

1. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 19′31.819

2. Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) BMW S1000 RR 19′39.838

3. Sheridan Morais (Lorenzini by Leoni) Kawasaki ZX-10R 19′39.934

4. Bryan Staring (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 19′40.183

5. Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) BMW S1000 RR 19′41.173

6. Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini) Honda CBR1000RR 19′41.285

7. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Junior Team) Honda CBR1000RR 19′41.483

8. Fabio Massei (Team Piellemoto) BMW S1000 RR 19′47.849

9. Marco Bussolotti (Pedercini Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 19′49.095

10. Brett McCormick (Garnier Alpha Racing Team) BMW S1000 RR 19′50.086

11. Markus Reiterberger (Garnier Alpha Racing Team) BMW S1000 RR 19′50.109

…

17. Beau Beaton (Garnier Racing Team) BMW S1000 RR 20′04.089

…

23. Randy Pagaud (Garnier Racing Team) BMW S1000 RR 20′31.356

Superstock 1000 FIM Cup standings:

1. Giugliano 171; 2. Petrucci 169; 3. Zanetti 148; 4. Barrier 132; 5. Canepa 109; 6. Antonelli 77; 7. Baroni 74; 8. Reiterberger 69;

On the bumpy Portimão track, the qualifying practice sessions very not very easy for the BMWs. The right set up for the suspensions was very hard to find, even with a lot of effort.

The first BMW is in fifth position, which doesn’t happen on the other tracks with a better surface. For the Team Garnier alpha Racing, Brett McCormick is in fifteenth position, Markus Reiterberger in seventeenth, Beau Beaton in eighteenth and Randy Pagaud in twenty-fifth. There will be some more work done tomorrow morning during the warm up session, but the hopes for the race are not too high.

The fastest rider of the qualifications was Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team Ducati 1098R). He will start tomorrow from the pole position, with Loris Baz (Ten Kate Junior Team Honda CBR1000RR) next to him. Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport Ducati 1098R) was in third position, in front of Sheridan Morais (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki ZX-10R), Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia S1000 RR) and Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati 1098R).

Qualifying results:

1. Danilo Petrucci  Ducati 1098R (Barni Racing Team) 1′45.282

2. Loris Baz  Honda CBR1000RR (Ten Kate Junior Team) 1′46.557

3. Niccolò Canepa  Ducati 1098R (Lazio MotorSport)  1′46.630

4. Sheridan Morais  Kawasaki ZX-10R (Lorenzini by Leoni)  1′46.690

5. Sylvain Barrier BMW S1000 RR  (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock)  1′46.759

6. Lorenzo Baroni  Ducati 1098R (Althea Racing)  1′46.862

7. Bryan Staring  Kawasaki ZX-10R (Team Pedercini)  1′46.889

8. Lorenzo Savadori  Kawasaki ZX-10R (Lorenzini by Leoni)  1′46.980

9. Fabio Massei  BMW S1000 RR (Team Piellemoto)  1′47.065

10. Andrea Antonelli  Honda CBR1000RR (Team Lorini)  1′47.165

11. Lorenzo Zanetti BMW S1000 RR  (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock)  1′47.240

12. Jeremy Guarnoni Yamaha YZF R1 (MRS Yamaha Racing France)  1′47.531

13. Christoffer Bergman Kawasaki ZX-10R  (BWG Racing Kawasaki)  1′47.638

14. Marco Bussolotti  Kawasaki ZX-10R (Pedercini Team)  1′47.710

15. Brett McCormick BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Alpha Racing Team) 1′47.795

16. Matthieu Lussiana  BMW S1000 RR (Team ASPI)  1′47.840

17. Markus Reiterberger BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Alpha Racing Team) 1′47.920

18. Beau Beaton BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Racing Team) 1′48.317

…

25. Randy Pagaud BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Racing Team) 1′49.963

…

Markus Reiterberger, Brett McCormick and Beau Beaton, representing three continents, discovered today the difficult layout of the “Autodromo Internacional do Algarve”. They had this Friday their first day of practice, with their team mate Randy Pagaud who knew the track already.

Markus Reiterberger managed the 13^th time, only one second behind the 4^th rider, which is very good for a first time on the Portuguese track. Canadian Brett McCormick started well the morning session, but he crashed, happily without injuring himself. But there was a lot of work to be done on the BMW and his crew did a brilliant job. He will have the opportunity to go faster tomorrow.

Australian Beau Beaton discovered that this particular track is hard to learn, because of a lot of downhill and uphill and some bumps. He qualified 21^st, a little bit in front of his team mate Randy Pagaud for whom this track is not one of his favourites.

Without the winner of the 2011 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup Davide Giugliano, racing this weekend in Superbike, it was Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team) Ducati 1098R who was the fastest in front of Sheridan Morais (Lorenzini by Leoni) Kawasaki ZX-10R. Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R was third, in front of Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini) Honda CBR1000RR, Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) BMW S1000 RR, Marco Bussolotti (Pedercini Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R and Fabio Massei (Team Piellemoto) BMW S1000 RR.

Markus Reiterberger: “My qualifying practice was OK. I had a few problems with the bike. I couldn’t go fast. Now I am in 13^th position, so today is OK and I hope tomorrow I can go a little faster.”

Brett McCormick: “It was pretty good. This morning went OK. I crashed at the end of the session, which was not good, but we are still going decent fast. We had to rebuild the bike, and thanks to these guys for putting it back together. I did a couple of laps and I am looking for tomorrow.”

Beau Beaton: “This afternoon we went a little bit better. The track is really one of the most difficult to learn. It’s hard to set the bikes for the bumps and get a good feeling because they got worse. I am 21^st but I think I can go faster tomorrow.”

Randy Pagaud: “We changed a few things on the bike between this morning and this afternoon. It was a little bit better. I was not fast enough compared to my goals. I don’t really like this track. I think this weekend will be rather complicated.”

Results of the 1^st practice session:

1. Danilo Petrucci  Ducati 1098R (Barni Racing Team) 1′46.012

2. Sheridan Morais Kawasaki ZX-10R (Lorenzini by Leoni) 1′47.297

3. Lorenzo Baroni Ducati 1098R (Althea Racing) 1′47.676

4. Andrea Antonelli Honda CBR1000RR (Team Lorini) 1′48.036

5. Sylvain Barrier BMW S1000RR (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) 1′48.103

6. Marco Bussolotti  Kawasaki ZX-10R (Pedercini Team) 1′48.172

7. Fabio Massei  BMW S1000 RR (Team Piellemoto) 1′48.218

8. Loris Baz  Honda CBR1000RR (Ten Kate Junior Team) 1′48.341

9. Jeremy Guarnoni Yamaha YZF R1 (MRS Yamaha Racing France) 1′48.401

10. Bryan Staring  Kawasaki ZX-10R (Team Pedercini) 1′48.456

…

13. Markus Reiterberger BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Alpha Racing Team) 1′49.003

…

20. Brett McCormick BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Alpha Racing Team) 1′50.427

21. Beau Beaton 1′50.461 BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Racing Team) 1′50.461

…

26. Randy Pagaud 1′51.813 BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Racing Team) 1′51.813

…

This weekend was the occasion to welcome in the team the Canadian Superbike Champion Brett McCormick alongside the three regular riders Markus Reiterberger, Beau Beaton and Randy Pagaud. It was a good experience for him and he will be again with us for the last round in Portimão.

Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) was the hero of the day when he won the 2011 FIM Cup Superstock 1000, while finishing the Magny-Cours race in fifth position.

The winner was Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team Ducati), in front of Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia), Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) and Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport Ducati).

Brett McCormick and Markus Reiterberger stayed together most of the race between the eleventh and the fourteenth position. I was not so bad, considering that McCormick was discovering the championship and Reiterberger had a crash that didn’t help during the practice sessions.

Randy Pagaud started 23^rd and moved forward to the 21^st position. Beau Beaton crashed while he was in 21^st position. Happily he wasn’t hurt and could restart to finish the race.

Brett McCormick: “The race was good. We improved again from yesterday. This morning we dropped again a second a lap. I got a really good start. I think I was twelfth on my first lap. I had a good battle with Markus. I am happy and glad we have another shot at it in Portugal. I am looking for a top 10 there.”

Markus Reiterberger: “My start was OK. In the first two laps, I was a little bit slow. I became faster and faster. In the middle of the race, it was OK. But in the end of the race, the feeling was not so good. So two guys passed me and I finished fourteenth.”

Randy Pagaud: “My start was not as bad as in Imola. I was fast in the beginning and passed a few riders. Then I was in a small group. For Magny-Cours, the position is not great, but my race times were better than during qualification. I’ll try to do better at the next race.”

Beau Beaton: “My race was not very good at all. Not a good start, then I made up some positions in traffic. I was pushing very hard, trying to get some points. Then I had a crash. I was able to finish the race. Not a very good day at all, really.”

Race result:

1- Danilo Petrucci – Barni Racing Team – Ducati 1098R

2- Lorenzo Zanetti – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 2.734

3- Sylvain Barrier – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 2.801

4- Niccolò Canepa – Lazio MotorSport – Ducati 1098R – + 2.997

5- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – + 11.455

6- Fabio Massei – Team Piellemoto – BMW S1000RR – + 11.817

7- Andrea Antonelli – Team Lorini – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 11.956

8- Sheridan Morais – Lorenzini by Leoni – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 14.026

9- Marco Bussolotti – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 17.193

10- Lorenzo Savadori – Lorenzini by Leoni – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 17.351

11- Bryan Staring – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 17.388

12- Michael Savary – Salac Racing – BMW S1000RR – + 21.854

13- Brett McCormick – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 22.252

14- Markus Reiterberger – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 22.666

…

21- Randy Pagaud – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 42.516

…

25- Beau Beaton – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR

The second and last qualifying practice session was not very easy for the four riders of the team: Markus Reiterberger, Brett McCormick, Beau Beaton and Randy Pagaud classified modestly, but there is still hope for them to do a good race on Sunday.

Markus Reiterberger crashed heavily on Friday during the first qualifying practice session, and that didn’t boost his confidence, while his crew had to rebuild his motorcycle. Considering these circumstances, his sixteenth positions on the starting grid is rather correct.

There was also a crash for Canadian Brett McCormick in the second free practice session on Saturday morning, even his crash was not as violent as the one of his German team mate on the previous day. But it was some lost time for both riders who are discovering the Magny-Cours race track. Beau Beaton and Randy Pagaud qualified in 23^rd and 24^th.

The pole position was for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team Ducati 1098R) in front of his fellow countryman Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati 1098R). Italian riders on Italian bikes obviously dominated, with Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport Ducati 1098R) in third position. Behind him came Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia S1000RR), Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia S1000RR), Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati 1098R), and Lorenzo Savadori (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki ZX-10R).

Giugliano has 160 points in the provisional standings with two races to go, leading in front of Petrucci (119) and Zanetti (117), so he could be tomorrow the winner of the 2011 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup.

Qualifying results:

1- Danilo Petrucci – Barni Racing Team – Ducati 1098R – 1’41.335

2- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – + 0.037

3- Niccolò Canepa – Lazio MotorSport – Ducati 1098R – + 0.345

4- Lorenzo Zanetti – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 0.355

5- Sylvain Barrier – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 0.493

6- Lorenzo Baroni – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – + 0.594

7- Lorenzo Savadori – Lorenzini by Leoni – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 0.993

8- Loris Baz – Ten Kate Junior Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1.038

9- Andrea Antonelli – Team Lorini – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1.107

10- Sheridan Morais – Lorenzini by Leoni – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1.180

11- Fabio Massei – Team Piellemoto – BMW S1000RR – + 1.394

12- Marco Bussolotti – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1.399

13- Bryan Staring – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1.468

14- Leandro Mercado – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1.626

15- Matthieu Lussiana – Team ASPI – BMW S1000RR – + 1.666

16- Markus Reiterberger – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 1.914

…19- Brett McCormick – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 2.094

…23- Beau Beaton – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 2.576

24- Randy Pagaud – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 2.722

Out of the four riders in the team this weekend, only Randy Pagaud knew the track of Nevers-Magny-Cours. It was the first time on this race course for Markus Reiterberger and Beau Beaton, as well as for the newcomer in the team Brett McCormick.

Markus did pretty well and was the fastest of the four riders. Brett McCormick, the 2011 Canadian Superbike Champion on a BMW, was in fifteenth position, while Randy and Beau were a little behind.

The free practice session had to be stopped early with the red flag because of a small crash by Ten Napel (Domburg Racing Honda CBR) and the surface needed to be cleaned.

Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia S1000RR) was the fastest rider of the session, more than half a second in front of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team Ducati 1098R). The third rider was Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati 1098R) who was in front of his team mate Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati 1098R), and also Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport Ducati 1098R) and Markus Reiterberger (Team Garnier alpha Racing BMW S1000RR).

Results of the 1^st free practice session:

1- Sylvain Barrier – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – 1’41.960

2- Danilo Petrucci – Barni Racing Team – Ducati 1098R – + 0.550

3- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – + 0.591

4- Lorenzo Baroni – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R 1’42.703 0.743

5- Niccolò Canepa – Lazio MotorSport – Ducati 1098R 1’42.789 0.829

6- Markus Reiterberger – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 1.342

7- Lorenzo Zanetti – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 1.549

8- Bryan Staring – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1.664

9- Jeremy Guarnoni – MRS Yamaha Racing France – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 1.844

10- Sheridan Morais – Lorenzini by Leoni – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 2.131

11- Fabio Massei – Team Piellemoto – BMW S1000RR – + 2.231

12- Andrea Antonelli – Team Lorini – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 2.333

13- Marco Bussolotti – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 2.405

14- Lorenzo Savadori – Lorenzini by Leoni – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 2.479

15- Brett McCormick – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 2.622

…25- Randy Pagaud – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 3.699

26- Beau Beaton – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 4.153

With two races to go in the championship, in Magny-Cours next weekend and then Portimão, Reiterberger gained in Italy a position in the standings. He is now seventh overall, after finishing brilliantly sixth on the Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari of Imola on Sunday.

This race was not easy from the beginning for the young German rider, as it was his first time on this difficult track. His main Italian opponents knew the track very well, and the huge technical advantage of the Ducatis was easy to see for everybody on the race day.

Beau Beaton started in 17^th position and finished 18^th, while his team mate Randy Pagaud finished 23^rd.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team Ducati 1098R) was the winner of the race, after fighting against Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati 1098R) and Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport Ducati 1098R) all the way to the checkered flag. The fourth position man Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati 1098R) made it four Italian riders with four Ducatis in the top four.

Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia S1000RR) finished fifth after crashing on Saturday. In sixth position was Markus Reiterberger (Team Garnier alpha Racing BMW S1000RR), in front of the first rider with a Japanese bike Sheridan Morais (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki ZX-10R).

Giugliano is now leading the championship with 160 points and two races to go in France and in Portugal. Only two riders can still be champions in front of Giugliano: Petrucci (119 points) and Zanetti (117). Reiterberger in seventh position with 62 points can still try to beat Baroni who has now 70 points for the final sixth position.

Michel Garnier, team owner: “I am a little bit disappointed with Randy’s performance because he started well on Friday with the 13^th time. In the race he had a poor start, and then could never be as fast as during practice. I did not expect that and I hope it will be better in Magny-Cours. Beau didn’t know the track and he did well. He did everything he could, finishing 18^th not very far from the points. Markus, discovering the track, was good all weekend long, as usual. He is trying hard, he makes a lot of efforts and this pays well. Zanetti crashed in front of him, he had a tyre problem by the end of the race, but he still finished sixth in front of a very good group of riders, which is excellent.”

Markus Reiterberger: “My start was very good. I was in fifth position. Later Zanetti passed me, but he crashed and I had to try very hard to avoid him and not to crash. After that I was in sixth position during the whole race behind Barrier, and by the end my rear tyre was in bad shape so I just made sure I would finish in sixth. Overall, it was a very good race for me.”

Randy Pagaud: “I had a bad start and I lost many positions, including in the first curves. I was a difficult race; I couldn’t find back the rhythm that I had during the qualifying session. So I have to think about that before the next race at Magny-Cours, but it should be OK, we know the place very well. Here my position is worse than last year, even if I am 4 seconds quicker.“

Race result:

1- Danilo Petrucci – Barni Racing Team – Ducati 1098R

2- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – + 2.087

3- Niccolò Canepa – Lazio MotorSport – Ducati 1098R – + 3.339

4- Lorenzo Baroni – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – + 14.422

5- Sylvain Barrier – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 16.130

6- Markus Reiterberger – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 20.645

7- Sheridan Morais – Lorenzini by Leoni – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 21.317

8- Michele Magnoni – Baru Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 21.483

9- Fabio Massei – Team Piellemoto – BMW S1000RR – + 22.724

10- Lorenzo Savadori – Lorenzini by Leoni – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 23.530

11- Andrea Antonelli – Team Lorini – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 24.491

12- Bryan Staring – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 29.121

13- Marco Bussolotti – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 29.426

14- Leandro Mercado – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 37.618

15- Ferruccio Lamborghini – Ten Kate Junior Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 42.892

…

18- Beau Beaton – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 43.856

…

23- Randy Pagaud – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 1’09.178

….

For his first race on the Autodromo Enzo et Dino Ferrari of Imola, the young German rider did really well and qualified in eighth position, against many riders with much more experience.

The beginning of the practice was not easy for Markus, but with good advices from Ralf Waldmann, he progressed regularly during the first two days of training. He was as fast as the top riders, and he can expect a good result if he has a good start and can stay with a group of fast riders.

Beau Beaton, who races also for the first time on this very special Italian track, progressed also with a good regularity and found some good settings, which is never easy here. Randy Pagaud raced here last year, but he had to restart from the beginning because of the brand new track surface.

Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing  Ducati 1098R) was the fastest and he will start from the front row with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team  Ducati 1098R), Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia S1000RR) and Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing  Ducati 1098R).

Michel Garnier, team owner: “It was not too bad. Randy has done the best he could. He is a little bit disappointed with his 20^th position, but he can progress tomorrow morning during the warm up. I am happy with his practice sessions. Beau is 17^th, he is happy, and now he will try to score some points like Randy. Markus has been very impressive, like always. He doesn’t know the track but still finishes in 8^th position. It is really great. If tomorrow he can be in the top 6, that would make us happy. I wish our three riders a very good race.”

Markus Reiterberger: “The second qualifying was very good. The first few laps I looked for ideal lines in the corners. I tried something different and I could go faster. The perfect lap was very good because the feeling from the bike was optimum. Tomorrow I hope I can have a good start and stay with the front guys.”

Beau Beaton: “This afternoon was a lot better. We found something simple with the setting and we went a lot forward. This was the feeling I was trying to find for a long time. We came out with a 1′53.1 and I am sure we can go faster because I ran off in the lap after that, and I am sure it would have been faster. So I am happy with this afternoon session.”

Randy Pagaud: “I started with the tyre from yesterday which did already 8 laps. I was immediately faster than yesterday in 1′54.3. There was a red flag and after that I put a new tyre. There was some traffic, and I did 1′53.8. By the end of the session, Sylvain Barrier crashed in front of me and there was a red flag. So I am 20^th and it is a little bit complicated. I’ll try to have a good start and do a good race.”

Qualifying results:

1- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – 1’50.016

2- Danilo Petrucci – Barni Racing Team – Ducati 1098R – + 0.386

3- Sylvain Barrier – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 0.572

4- Lorenzo Baroni – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – + 0.752

5- Lorenzo Zanetti – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 0.778

6- Niccolò Canepa – Lazio MotorSport – Ducati 1098R – + 0.924

7- Andrea Antonelli – Team Lorini – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1.204

8- Markus Reiterberger – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 1.380

9- Eddi La Marra – Team Lorini – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1.751

10- Michele Magnoni – Baru Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 1.768

…

18- Beau Beaton – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 3.126

19- Jeremy Guarnoni – MRS Yamaha Racing France – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 3.350

20- Randy Pagaud – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 3.807

…

Markus Reiterberger and Beau Beaton put a wheel for the first time of their life on the beautiful Autodromo Enzo et Dino Ferrari of Imola, rather complicated to learn. Randy Pagaud knew already the track from last year, when he was then discovering the team and the BMW. So for the three riders this Friday was a learning process of the lay out and the new surface.

It was a good day overall for the team, with the tenth position for Markus. It has to be understood that against him are riders with a lot of experience of the category and of this particular track. For instance Danilo Petrucci, the man today in provisional pole position, raced already in the Superstock 600 category in 2008. So for a first time at Imola, Markus’ performance is quite impressive.

Randy and Beau did also a very good job, progressing all day long, and with a good possibility to be faster tomorrow. About thirty riders participated in this first day of qualifying, and their positions are quite satisfying. The weather is supposed to stay very nice for the next two days and the weekend should be great.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team Ducati 1098R) was the fastest today in front of the championship leader Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati 1098R). Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia S1000 RR) was in third position, in front of Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport Ducati 1098R), Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia S1000 RR) and Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati 1098R). The first non-European bike rider was Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini Honda CBR1000RR) in 7^th position.

Michel Garnier, team owner: “Everybody worked well. Beau Beaton progressed well as it is his first time on this track. His parents arrived for the last three races, which is really nice. He worked well and did a good job. Randy worked also well. He knew the track, but was 1.5 quicker than last year. I think he will be faster tomorrow. Markus was tenth today, which is really great for his first time on this track. Tomorrow, he can look for a first or second row position on the starting grid. Thanks everybody in the team for the good work.”

Markus Reiterberger: “I had big problems with the bike this morning. I had no feeling from the front and the rear, I don’t know why. My team and I sat down and changed many things on the bike. In the afternoon, it was much better. The feeling was OK and I hope tomorrow I can go a little bit faster than today.”

Randy Pagaud: “We started with the used tyre from this morning and I did immediately the same time, 1′55.0. Then we put a new tyre, but I was in a group that was not so fast, with no top rider to follow. Alone, I went 0.5 faster, I am 17^th but with a possibility to go faster tomorrow.”

Beau Beaton: “Today was good. It is a new circuit for me. I had a small trouble with the tyre in this morning practice. I did about seven or eight laps, I think. It is difficult on a new track because you want to get as many laps as you can. This afternoon we made not so much change to the bike and we went three seconds faster. I am still learning the track.”

Results of the 1^st practice session:

1. Danilo Petrucci  Ducati 1098R (Barni Racing Team) 1′51.046

2. Davide Giugliano  Ducati 1098R (Althea Racing) 1′51.204

3. Sylvain Barrier  BMW S1000RR (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) 1′51.220

4. Niccolò Canepa   Ducati 1098R (Lazio MotorSport) 1′51.674

5. Lorenzo Zanetti  BMW S1000RR (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) 1′51.904

6. Lorenzo Baroni  Ducati 1098R (Althea Racing) 1′51.959

7. Andrea Antonelli  Honda CBR1000RR (Team Lorini) 1′52.511

8. Michele Magnoni  BMW S1000 RR (Baru Racing Team) 1′52.702

9. Sheridan Morais  Kawasaki ZX-10R (Lorenzini by Leoni) 1′53.

10. Markus Reiterberger  BMW S1000RR (Garnier Alpha Racing Team) 1′53.129

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17. Randy Pagaud BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Racing Team) 1′54.583

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20. Beau Beaton  BMW S1000 RR (Garnier Racing Team) 1′54.728

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At home on the Nürburgring track, Markus Reiterberger finished well at the 6^th place, even if it was possible for him to hope for a better result if he would not have had some tyre problem. With this position he is still doing well in the championship, which is nice for a young rookie rider. Randy Pagaud and Beau Beaton finished 18^th and 19^th.

Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) was the quickest at the start, in front of the championship leader Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) and Markus Reiterberger. Giugliano soon took the lead and won the race in front of Barrier.

Because of his tyre trouble, Reiterberger could not stay in front of Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport Ducati), Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia) and Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati) and he had to let them go. But the young German rider still has three races this year to prove how talented he is.

Randy Pagaud and Beau Beaton did not have great starts, and consequently they were stuck in the middle of the pack in the first very sharp corners. After that, they gained a few position and finished not very far from the points.

Michel Garnier (team owner): “Randy finishes 18^th after being stuck in the middle of a group in the first corner. After that he goes well, but it’s too late for him to catch the guys in front. He is disappointed not to score points but it’s not bad. It’s his first season. Beau is just behind Randy. He did well, better than usual. There was no crash, nothing broken, so there is still some work to do but it’s getting better. Markus was hoping for a better result. He started well, but it was difficult for him to turn entering the corners. He also had some tyre problems. He is happy, but a little bit disappointed. For the championship, the points of his 6^th position are good to take. Overall, it was a good weekend. Now let’s go to Imola!”

Markus Reiterberger: “The start was good. I was in third position. But during the whole race I had some problems with the rear tyre. Yesterday in the second qualifying it was perfect. The feeling was OK. Today I had no feeling with the back. Everybody passed me and I finished in 6^th position. It’s OK, but little unlucky.”

Randy Pagaud: “The qualifying was fine but the start not so good. I don’t have a good feeling with the clutch. I lost roughly 10 positions at the start, which is huge. After that I gained a few places but the guys in front were too far. It’s too bad because I was doing the same lap times as the guys in the points. Next race will be better.”

Beau Beaton : “I was a difficult race, slippery in some spots after the rain last night. I didn’t get the best start. The first corners are very tight here at the Nürburgring and it’s difficult to stay calm and keep on the bike. After we made a few places up. I made a small error in Turn 1, my team mate and another rider went passed.”

Race result:

1- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R

2- Sylvain Barrier – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 4.274

3- Niccolò Canepa – Lazio MotorSport – Ducati 1098R – + 11.241

4- Lorenzo Zanetti – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 11.459

5- Lorenzo Baroni – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – + 11.711

6- Markus Reiterberger – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 13.169

7- Andrea Antonelli – Team Lorini – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 15.742

8- Sheridan Morais – Lorenzini by Leoni – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 17.441

9- Marco Bussolotti – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 18.440

10- Bryan Staring – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 21.016

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18- Randy Pagaud – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 40.130

19- Beau Beaton – Garnier alpha Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – + 43.603

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